Rento_VW
05-13-2007, 03:56 PM
Thanks for the help you guys, for contributing to my Senior Project. This is my Rough Draft, hopefully it will be a hit!
... If you plan on stealing it, revising it, shoot for it. Volkswagen is the People's Car, and we all share our beliefs, work, and projects. Here is mine.
(Just don't give it out or anything till after June...)
The Rise of The People's Car
Sitting at a restaurant table in Munich during the summer of 1932, Adolf Hitler drew on a napkin the prototype design for what would become the immensely popular Volkswagen Beetle. Telling head of Daimler-Benz, Jakob Werlin, "Take it with you and speak with people who understand more about it than I do. But don't forget it. I want to hear from you soon, about the technical details." ("Adolf and Volkswagen"). Just this single demand by Hitler sparked the fuel, not only for Germany's, nor even Europe's, but for the World's largest, most successful, and richest car company- Volkswagen. The history of Volkswagen is a very windy road, and it began with the KdF Wagen also known as the Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle.
What was Adolf Hitler looking for? He was in search of a car that everyone would own, something cheap, quick, and comfortable. However, this was not the case with the KdF Wagen, it was too expensive, not reliable, not very fuel efficient, and was a pain to use. Two years later, Hitler has a meeting with Ferdinand Porsche, lead designer and ringleader for KdF (Kraft durch Freude, meaning Strength Through Joy, Volkswagen's original name). Requesting, more like demanding, "...a basic vehicle that should be capable of transporting two adults and three children at a speed of 100 km/h (62 mph), and which should cost no more than 990 Reichsmark (at an average income of 32RM/week)." ("Volkswagen Beetle"). Ordinary Germans were able to purchase this car with a savings scheme that was created where you, "Save five Marks a week, if you want to drive your own car" ("Volkswagen"). By the end of the war around forty-thousand KdF Wagens were produced being used by the general public on the German Autobahn.
However, a new era was beginning, the KdF Factory lay in shambles and was taken over by the American Army but was handed to the Officer Major Ivan Hirst of the British Army. Originally Hirst's plans were to use the factory as a place to repair military vehicles, but shortly after painting a KdF Wagen green and demonstrated in it, Hirst ordered the production of 20,000 of them, thus, keeping the KdF company alive. This moreover, led to the need of a new name for the Company and the city it began life in; the name was changed to Volkswagen and the city was changed from KdF-Stadt to Wolfsburg. With production increasing, plans on what would become of the factory were still in the clouds.
"Sir William Rootes, head of the British Rootes Group, told Hirst the project would fail within two years, and that the car "is quite unattractive to the average motorcar buyer, is too ugly and too noisy ... If you think you're going to build cars in this place, you're a bloody fool, young man." ("Volkswagen") Rootes said to Hirst followed by, Ford Critics stating the car was, "not worth a damn." ("wolkswagen"). So after failed offers to American and French automobile companies, Ivan Hirst became the CEO of Volkswagen.
In 1948, Heinrich Nordhoff, a former senior manager of Opel, became the new CEO of Volkswagen and led one of the most biggest eras for Volkswagen. It was a very important element both economically and symbolically for the regeneration of West Germany. While Nordhoff was in charge, he went by a more strict one model style of selling, but shortly before his death, two more models came in; The sporty Karmann Ghia and the very versatile Type 2 Bus, which came in camper vans and trucks. Amazingly by 1955 the production of Type 1s grew to one million, but sadly, when introduced to the US as the "Victory Wagon" only two ever sold the first year. However, after the advertising campaigns by Doyle, Dane and Bernbach; the ads were as popular as the cars; even the Type 1 was now universally dubbed the Beetle.
The 60s hit and the car was pretty outdated being over 25 years old and having generally the same exact appearance, yet sales surpassed Henry Ford's record for most produced car by the millions; by 1973 Volkswagen had produced over sixteen million Beetles. By now the production line consisted of the Beetle, new Super Beetle, the Type 2.5 Bus, and the very large Type 3 line which included the Karmann Ghia, and now the new Notchback, Squareback, and Fastback.Moreover, a new military themed Volkswagen dubbed the "Thing" was now released which resembled the Nazi Kubelwagens, but was ended due to safety reasons.
By the end of the 60s, Volkswagen was having financial trouble... The Type 3 and 4 models had been failures, being not so very popular with the public, and the Karmann Ghia wasn't a hit either. The solution? Water cooled engines, this was a much more buyer friendly and known engine. It wasn't as loud as the air-cooled engines that every single previous model had been powered by. But how, who, and where would they get the inspiration to make such a car?
The answer came, and Volkswagen paired with Audi in 1964. Audi specialized in front wheel drive and water-cooled engines and this was the key to keep Volkswagen in the game. This is where Audi helped design some of the most popular Volkswagens today; bringing out the small, nimble, and fuel efficient Golf; the even more compact and friendly Polo; more larger and luxurious Passat; the sport sedan, Jetta; the Golf based convertible, Cabriolet; and the Golf based pickup truck, the Caddy; the sport coupe, Scirocco (pronounced: shuh-rock-oh).
However, the more popular of these was the Golf, marketed in the US as the Volkswagen Rabbit, were the most popular of them all. They began production in 1974 and was in instant hit in North America and Latin America. Soon a more faster, sporty, and overall awesome model of the Golf was released called the GTI, it came with more appealing alloy snowflake design alloy wheels, and a more attractive interior. This was by far one of the more fun cars to drive due to it's very light overall weight and and a very strong engine, a complete success for the water-cooled beginning.
1983 rolls around the corner and design changes are now in full effect naming this generation the Mark II Generation (1983-1990). The Golf has been revamped and has been given a slightly larger body shell. Moreover, a new engine has been introduced, the 16-valve 1.8 liter engine which has two times the amount of valves compared to the 8-valve 1.8 liter engine. This called for some extreme performance for such a light car, but still giving a very desirable 25-35 miles per gallon. The GTI however, is given more options, better appearance packages, and an even stronger 2.0 liter engine boasting 134 horsepower.
Meanwhile the company was still striving to be a complete success, sales were dropping still;so the CEO Carl Hahn decides to expand the company. "Hahn expanded the company by purchasing a greater share of the Spanish car maker SEAT, which VW bought outright in 1990; the Czech car maker Skoda was acquired the following year." ("Volkswagen"). After buying Skoda and SEAT, the Mark III Generation began.
With the beginning of the Mark III Generation (1990- 1999), the Volkswagen Corrado, a sport coupe, predecessor to the Scirocco was at it's peak. There were two main models: the G60, powered by a G60 Supercharged 16-valve 1.8; and the SLC powered by the new VR6, a 6 cylinder engine dubbed the best engine Volkswagen ever made. However, "the Corrado was a complete flop, it was too expensive at nearly $30,000 USD, so no one wanted it." ("Motorweek: Corrado"). It's first year was 1990 but was soon phased out five years later in 1995.
The standard for Volkswagen was also raised during the Mk-III Generation. Audi was now a luxury competitor with BMW and Mercedes Benz, so Volkswagen was to up the ante and fill that gap. This was clearly seen with the new, "...Passat in 1996 with its high-quality interior trim and standards of build quality..." ("Volkswagen"). Meanwhile, SEAT and Skoda filled the empty void where Volkswagen once sat.
The step up in luxury for the Passat was then carried over to the Golf and the Jetta in the Mark IV Generation (1999-2003). However, sales and financial status was still in the bottom pits and Volkswagen was nearly out of ideas. "Some automotive journalists believed that Volkswagen would have to quit the North American market altogether." ("Wolkswagen"). This is where it hit them, the Beetle was the center piece, the holy grail, the rise and success to Volkswagen. So they quickly started making plans on the "New Beetle" and when unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in 1994, the strong public reaction drew the line on the production of the New Beetle.
"Still, it carried many design features related to the old Beetle: separate wings, vestigial running boards, sloping headlamps and large round tail lights, as well as a high rounded roofline that provides enough headroom for tall drivers." ("Wolkswagen: New Beetle"). Although it was a slow seller in Europe, the car was a success in the United States. "The Volkswagen New Beetle was Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year [1] for 1999. A convertible version of New Beetle started production two years after launch, after many buyers had aftermarket conversions." ("Volkswagen: New Beetle").
Even more models are introduced in the Mark V Generation (2003-present) when Bernd Pischetsrieder was announced the new CEO for Volkswagen in 2002. The Golf became a total success everywhere in the world when it was released in 2002 (2004 in the United States). The GTI was kicked up a notch with the new 2.0 FSI Turbocharged direct injection engine, 17" alloy wheels, and came with a sporty Recaro racing seats in black plaid or leather. The Jetta was given a performance model like the Golf GTI, this one called the Jetta GLI and was pretty much the same as the GTI except on a Jetta platform.
Four new models were also introduced, the sport utility vehicle, Touareg; the first ever hard top convertible with a sunroof, EOS; and the soon to be produced in the middle of 2007, and the reincarnation of the Scirocco, the new IROC. The last model to be listed was introduced shortly before the CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder resigned, it was Bernd's goodbye to Volkswagen as he wanted to leave with a bang. It was the the Volkswagen Phaeton, an extremely luxurious car that was incredibly expensive, around $80,000 USD. Sadly, due to very low sales the car will be discontinued in 2007.
Currently Volkswagen of America is striving to keep up sales in the United States and it has been a very rough road. Yet, even though the company isn't number one in the charts, for some reason, Volkswagen seems to have the most biggest crowd and enthusiast group in the world, each one different for each and every car. If you pay close attention to Volkswagens sitting side by side, or across from each other at intersections, you will see the drivers throwing up a V with their hand (like a peace sign), and acknowledging each other's presence. If you see a stranded Volkswagen, chances are another guy in a Volkswagen will pull over and help them, it happens everyday. This here shows you the aim of Adolf Hitler and why the car was dubbed Volkswagen, The People's Car, a bad idea that was executed brilliantly.
... If you plan on stealing it, revising it, shoot for it. Volkswagen is the People's Car, and we all share our beliefs, work, and projects. Here is mine.
(Just don't give it out or anything till after June...)
The Rise of The People's Car
Sitting at a restaurant table in Munich during the summer of 1932, Adolf Hitler drew on a napkin the prototype design for what would become the immensely popular Volkswagen Beetle. Telling head of Daimler-Benz, Jakob Werlin, "Take it with you and speak with people who understand more about it than I do. But don't forget it. I want to hear from you soon, about the technical details." ("Adolf and Volkswagen"). Just this single demand by Hitler sparked the fuel, not only for Germany's, nor even Europe's, but for the World's largest, most successful, and richest car company- Volkswagen. The history of Volkswagen is a very windy road, and it began with the KdF Wagen also known as the Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle.
What was Adolf Hitler looking for? He was in search of a car that everyone would own, something cheap, quick, and comfortable. However, this was not the case with the KdF Wagen, it was too expensive, not reliable, not very fuel efficient, and was a pain to use. Two years later, Hitler has a meeting with Ferdinand Porsche, lead designer and ringleader for KdF (Kraft durch Freude, meaning Strength Through Joy, Volkswagen's original name). Requesting, more like demanding, "...a basic vehicle that should be capable of transporting two adults and three children at a speed of 100 km/h (62 mph), and which should cost no more than 990 Reichsmark (at an average income of 32RM/week)." ("Volkswagen Beetle"). Ordinary Germans were able to purchase this car with a savings scheme that was created where you, "Save five Marks a week, if you want to drive your own car" ("Volkswagen"). By the end of the war around forty-thousand KdF Wagens were produced being used by the general public on the German Autobahn.
However, a new era was beginning, the KdF Factory lay in shambles and was taken over by the American Army but was handed to the Officer Major Ivan Hirst of the British Army. Originally Hirst's plans were to use the factory as a place to repair military vehicles, but shortly after painting a KdF Wagen green and demonstrated in it, Hirst ordered the production of 20,000 of them, thus, keeping the KdF company alive. This moreover, led to the need of a new name for the Company and the city it began life in; the name was changed to Volkswagen and the city was changed from KdF-Stadt to Wolfsburg. With production increasing, plans on what would become of the factory were still in the clouds.
"Sir William Rootes, head of the British Rootes Group, told Hirst the project would fail within two years, and that the car "is quite unattractive to the average motorcar buyer, is too ugly and too noisy ... If you think you're going to build cars in this place, you're a bloody fool, young man." ("Volkswagen") Rootes said to Hirst followed by, Ford Critics stating the car was, "not worth a damn." ("wolkswagen"). So after failed offers to American and French automobile companies, Ivan Hirst became the CEO of Volkswagen.
In 1948, Heinrich Nordhoff, a former senior manager of Opel, became the new CEO of Volkswagen and led one of the most biggest eras for Volkswagen. It was a very important element both economically and symbolically for the regeneration of West Germany. While Nordhoff was in charge, he went by a more strict one model style of selling, but shortly before his death, two more models came in; The sporty Karmann Ghia and the very versatile Type 2 Bus, which came in camper vans and trucks. Amazingly by 1955 the production of Type 1s grew to one million, but sadly, when introduced to the US as the "Victory Wagon" only two ever sold the first year. However, after the advertising campaigns by Doyle, Dane and Bernbach; the ads were as popular as the cars; even the Type 1 was now universally dubbed the Beetle.
The 60s hit and the car was pretty outdated being over 25 years old and having generally the same exact appearance, yet sales surpassed Henry Ford's record for most produced car by the millions; by 1973 Volkswagen had produced over sixteen million Beetles. By now the production line consisted of the Beetle, new Super Beetle, the Type 2.5 Bus, and the very large Type 3 line which included the Karmann Ghia, and now the new Notchback, Squareback, and Fastback.Moreover, a new military themed Volkswagen dubbed the "Thing" was now released which resembled the Nazi Kubelwagens, but was ended due to safety reasons.
By the end of the 60s, Volkswagen was having financial trouble... The Type 3 and 4 models had been failures, being not so very popular with the public, and the Karmann Ghia wasn't a hit either. The solution? Water cooled engines, this was a much more buyer friendly and known engine. It wasn't as loud as the air-cooled engines that every single previous model had been powered by. But how, who, and where would they get the inspiration to make such a car?
The answer came, and Volkswagen paired with Audi in 1964. Audi specialized in front wheel drive and water-cooled engines and this was the key to keep Volkswagen in the game. This is where Audi helped design some of the most popular Volkswagens today; bringing out the small, nimble, and fuel efficient Golf; the even more compact and friendly Polo; more larger and luxurious Passat; the sport sedan, Jetta; the Golf based convertible, Cabriolet; and the Golf based pickup truck, the Caddy; the sport coupe, Scirocco (pronounced: shuh-rock-oh).
However, the more popular of these was the Golf, marketed in the US as the Volkswagen Rabbit, were the most popular of them all. They began production in 1974 and was in instant hit in North America and Latin America. Soon a more faster, sporty, and overall awesome model of the Golf was released called the GTI, it came with more appealing alloy snowflake design alloy wheels, and a more attractive interior. This was by far one of the more fun cars to drive due to it's very light overall weight and and a very strong engine, a complete success for the water-cooled beginning.
1983 rolls around the corner and design changes are now in full effect naming this generation the Mark II Generation (1983-1990). The Golf has been revamped and has been given a slightly larger body shell. Moreover, a new engine has been introduced, the 16-valve 1.8 liter engine which has two times the amount of valves compared to the 8-valve 1.8 liter engine. This called for some extreme performance for such a light car, but still giving a very desirable 25-35 miles per gallon. The GTI however, is given more options, better appearance packages, and an even stronger 2.0 liter engine boasting 134 horsepower.
Meanwhile the company was still striving to be a complete success, sales were dropping still;so the CEO Carl Hahn decides to expand the company. "Hahn expanded the company by purchasing a greater share of the Spanish car maker SEAT, which VW bought outright in 1990; the Czech car maker Skoda was acquired the following year." ("Volkswagen"). After buying Skoda and SEAT, the Mark III Generation began.
With the beginning of the Mark III Generation (1990- 1999), the Volkswagen Corrado, a sport coupe, predecessor to the Scirocco was at it's peak. There were two main models: the G60, powered by a G60 Supercharged 16-valve 1.8; and the SLC powered by the new VR6, a 6 cylinder engine dubbed the best engine Volkswagen ever made. However, "the Corrado was a complete flop, it was too expensive at nearly $30,000 USD, so no one wanted it." ("Motorweek: Corrado"). It's first year was 1990 but was soon phased out five years later in 1995.
The standard for Volkswagen was also raised during the Mk-III Generation. Audi was now a luxury competitor with BMW and Mercedes Benz, so Volkswagen was to up the ante and fill that gap. This was clearly seen with the new, "...Passat in 1996 with its high-quality interior trim and standards of build quality..." ("Volkswagen"). Meanwhile, SEAT and Skoda filled the empty void where Volkswagen once sat.
The step up in luxury for the Passat was then carried over to the Golf and the Jetta in the Mark IV Generation (1999-2003). However, sales and financial status was still in the bottom pits and Volkswagen was nearly out of ideas. "Some automotive journalists believed that Volkswagen would have to quit the North American market altogether." ("Wolkswagen"). This is where it hit them, the Beetle was the center piece, the holy grail, the rise and success to Volkswagen. So they quickly started making plans on the "New Beetle" and when unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in 1994, the strong public reaction drew the line on the production of the New Beetle.
"Still, it carried many design features related to the old Beetle: separate wings, vestigial running boards, sloping headlamps and large round tail lights, as well as a high rounded roofline that provides enough headroom for tall drivers." ("Wolkswagen: New Beetle"). Although it was a slow seller in Europe, the car was a success in the United States. "The Volkswagen New Beetle was Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year [1] for 1999. A convertible version of New Beetle started production two years after launch, after many buyers had aftermarket conversions." ("Volkswagen: New Beetle").
Even more models are introduced in the Mark V Generation (2003-present) when Bernd Pischetsrieder was announced the new CEO for Volkswagen in 2002. The Golf became a total success everywhere in the world when it was released in 2002 (2004 in the United States). The GTI was kicked up a notch with the new 2.0 FSI Turbocharged direct injection engine, 17" alloy wheels, and came with a sporty Recaro racing seats in black plaid or leather. The Jetta was given a performance model like the Golf GTI, this one called the Jetta GLI and was pretty much the same as the GTI except on a Jetta platform.
Four new models were also introduced, the sport utility vehicle, Touareg; the first ever hard top convertible with a sunroof, EOS; and the soon to be produced in the middle of 2007, and the reincarnation of the Scirocco, the new IROC. The last model to be listed was introduced shortly before the CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder resigned, it was Bernd's goodbye to Volkswagen as he wanted to leave with a bang. It was the the Volkswagen Phaeton, an extremely luxurious car that was incredibly expensive, around $80,000 USD. Sadly, due to very low sales the car will be discontinued in 2007.
Currently Volkswagen of America is striving to keep up sales in the United States and it has been a very rough road. Yet, even though the company isn't number one in the charts, for some reason, Volkswagen seems to have the most biggest crowd and enthusiast group in the world, each one different for each and every car. If you pay close attention to Volkswagens sitting side by side, or across from each other at intersections, you will see the drivers throwing up a V with their hand (like a peace sign), and acknowledging each other's presence. If you see a stranded Volkswagen, chances are another guy in a Volkswagen will pull over and help them, it happens everyday. This here shows you the aim of Adolf Hitler and why the car was dubbed Volkswagen, The People's Car, a bad idea that was executed brilliantly.